Space heating system and structure

ABSTRACT

A space heating system for rooms and other building spaces having a ceiling or wall surface, in which a plurality of strands or sections of insulated resistance wire is strung along the ceiling or wall surface and secured thereto by fixtures at the ends of the sections and by spaced tape or the like along the sections adhered to the surface. The resistance wire, including the insulation, is not more than 0.075 inches, and the fixtures which hold the wire at the ends are preferably secured to the surface by an adhesive material. A thin coating of plastic or synthetic plaster-like material, preferably sprayed on the surface, covers the wires and fixtures, and forms a smooth surface concealing said heating wire and fixtures.

United States Patent 1191 Dugger [45] July 30, 1974 SPACE HEATING SYSTEM AND 3,361,593 H1968 Sattler et al 174/120 SR STRUCTURE P I E C L Alb rlmary xammerrltton [75] Inventor. gfihard P. Dugger, South Bend, Attorney, Agent, or Firm Hobbs & Green [73] Assignee: Ristance Wire, lnc., Bremen, Ind. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Feb. 7, 1973 A space heating system for rooms and other building spaces having a ceiling or wall surface, in which a plu- 1 PP 330,431 rality of strands or sections of insulated resistance wire is strung along the ceiling or wall surface and secured 521 u.s. c1 219/213, 52/173 219/538 thereto by fixtures at the ends of the seehehe and by 51 1m.C1. ..1i05b 1/00 sPeeed tape or the like along the seehehs adhered to [58] FM! of Search 219/213 526 538, 545 the surface. The resistance wire, including the insula- 2 9/548 549; 52/173; 174/120 R, 120 SR tion, iS not more than 0.075 inches, and the fixtures which hold the wire at the ends are preferably secured 56] References cued to the surface by an adhesive material. A thin coating UNITED STATES PATENTS of plastic or synthetic plaster-like material, preferably sprayed on the surface, covers the wires and fixtures,

2 m g/g and forms a smooth surface concealing said heating rumor 3,191,005 6/1965 0111.... 219 549 x and fixtures 3,200,236 8/1965 Gcycr 219/213 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Rooms and other enclosed spaces have been heated in the past by radiation, using electrical heating wires or hot water coils secured to the ceiling structure and covered with and fully embedded in a relatively thick layer of plastering. This type of installation and system is expensive to install in that the heating wires or coils are first secured to the ceiling support members, either directly or to a first layer of plastering, with separate fixtures and heating sections, and then a second layer of plastering is applied to the first layer in sufficient thickness to cover the wires or coils and to form a smooth ceiling-surface. In some installations, the first layer consists of plaster board secured to the rafters, or it may be the lower surface of a concrete slab forming a part of the building structure. In each of these types of installations the task of securing the wires or coils to the supporting structure or to the concrete slab is difficult and tedious and involves a substantial amount of work from highly skilled and highly paid labor, often requiring securing the wire with staples at close intervals, which increases the likelihood of damage to the wire. It is therefore one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a space heating system involving the use of electrical heating wires in the ceiling structure, in which the wires are attached to or applied on a first surface and then covered by a thin layer of material which can be applied, using one of several easily performed coating operations which conceals the wire and fixtures while retaining the wires in a superficial position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple radiant heat system and structure for a room or other space, in which electrical heating wires are applied to a surface, such as a ceiling, without penetrating or puncturing the ceiling structure, and which can be covered to form an integral part of the ceiling without appreciably increasing the ceiling thickness or weight.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple and easily performed method of installing an electrical radiant heating system in a ceiling or other surface of a room or space, which can be performed without the use of highly skilled labor or special tools, and under normal building construction conditions, and which can be quickly and efficiently performed without extended setting or drying time for the material used in the installation.

A further object is to provide a heating wire for use in a space heating system and structure such as that referrred to hereinbefore, which permits the use ofa thin layer of coating material for concealing the wire after it has been attached to the ceiling structure.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a room of a home or other building showing a ceiling and a portion thereof broken away to better illustrate the present space heating system and structure;

F IG. 2 is a plan view of the space heating system and structure illustrated in FIG. 1, showing the manner in which it is installed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of a portion of the system and structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the section being taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 2; and

H6. 4 is a cross section of a heating wire used in the present heating system and structure.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, numeral indicates generally a room or other building space in which the present space heating system and structure have been installed. The system and structure, which are indicated generally by numeral 12, are installed on the under side ofthe ceiling structure 14, which may be plasterboard supported by rafters, joists or beams, or

' which may be the under side of a concrete slab. The

system and structure are adaptable to other types of ceiling, wall and/or floor structures, although they are primarily designed and adapted for ceiling installations, and hence will be so described herein. For more effectively illustrating the installation, the space may be considered a room in an apartment building, having outside wall 16, inside wall 18, and floor 20, and a conventional window 22 in outside wall 16. Various other room shapes and structures may be used, and while the room is shown merely as a rectangular or cubicle-type configuration, the present system and structure are adapted to various other shaped rooms.

The present space heating system and structure consist of fixtures 30 and 32 attached to the ceiling near opposite ends thereof, and a series of wire sections 34 connected continuously to one another by short sections 36 at each fixture. The wire sections are retained in contact or in close proximity to the under surface of the ceiling by tape strips 38 spaced along the wire sections and having a tacky side which adheres firmly to the surface of the ceiling. Tape 38 is preferably of a thin paper or plastic material which is sufficiently flexible that it conforms readily to the ceiling contour and to the wires as it is applied to the ceiling surface by merely pressing it firmly thereon. After the wire has been installed, the tape prevents sagging of the wire sections and assists in retaining the sections in proper relationship, such as the parallel relationship illustrated in the drawings, until the final coating has been applied to the ceiling.

Fixtures 30 and 32 preferably are constructed of plastic material, such as polyurethane, and have a flat base section 40 which is secured to the ceiling surface by an adhesive, cement or other suitable material which, after setting, is sufficiently strong to withstand the tension placed thereon by the wire sections during and after they have been installed between the fixtures. The use of synthetic cement or other adhesive material to secure the fixtures in place eliminates the need for drilling holes, nailing, or applying staples to hold the fixtures and wires in place. The fixtures include a series of tongues or hooks 42 joined integrally to the base and extending toward and overlapping the base, and being spaced from one another in such a manner that the wires, when inserted between the tongues and the base After fixtures 30 and 32 have been secured in place and the wire strung in the manner illustrated in the drawings, and the strips 38 applied to the wire to hold the wire in place, a coating of a plaster material, such as a synthetic plastic material or heavy paint-like substance such as latex or Kadex, which becomes relatively hard and tenacious, is applied, and this material adheres firmly to the ceiling and covers the wiresections and fixtures. Since the wires are small in diameter and the tape and fixtures are relatively thin, a coating of the synthetic paint, paint-like material, or a thin coating of plaster covers the structure, thereby presenting a smooth or relatively smooth ceiling surface. A thin layer of conventional plaster may be used; however, a synthetic material may be less likely to crack than plaster. While plaster is suitable for many installations, it must be applied in a much thinner layer than would normally be applied in the conventional plastertype installation and construction. The final coating is preferably sprayed onto the surface of the ceiling, although other means, such as a roller, can be used. However, the spray application is faster and normally uses less plaster material than other conventional methods.

One of the important features of the present invention, which makes this type of installation possible or acceptable, is the character of the wire used in the installation. The conventional heating wire is relatively thick and requires a final coating of substantial thickness in order to obtain a smooth surface on the final ceiling structure. The present heating wire consists of a small electrical resistance wire covered by a thin coating of insulation which gives adequate protection and yet permits the application of the final coating by a spraying operation to produce a thin layer of material for covering the wire. The conductor preferably consists of copper or copper alloy resistance wire 50, and the insulation preferably consists of polyester-nylon enamel 52 over which is placed a thermosetting or thermoplastic, thin walled, extruded jacket 54. The polyester-nylon layerl'nay consist of 0.002 0.004 inch electrical grade enamel plus 0.00] 0.003 inch nylon, and the jacket may consist of 0.008 0.010 inch extruded plastic. The total diameter of the wire should not be more than 0.075 inches and is preferably not more than .050 inches. The thin masking tape and the relatively thin fixtures being used with the micro-thin wire described hereinabove result in athin installation which can be readily coated by the sprayed plaster or synthetic material to produce a smooth final surface on the ceiling. While various materials have been mentioned herein for the wire, fixtures and strip material, various other suitable materials may be used if desired; however, the thickness of these materials must necessarily be kept thin in order to permit the application of a thin final layer to the ceiling.

While only one embodiment of the present space heating system and structure have been described in detail herein, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A space heating system for a ceiling or wall installation having a surface facing the space to be heated, comprising connected sections of thin, insulated resistance wire of an overall diameter of approximately 0.050 inches and an insulation jacket in the range of approximately 0.008-0.0l0 inches strung along the said surface in spaced relation, fixtures secured to said surface at each end of said wire section having an elongated strip with tabs overlapping and contacting the surface of the strip for holding said wire sections in said spaced relation, means along said sections for holding said sections against said surface, and a thin layer ap plied to said surface covering said wire sections, fixtures and said holding means.

2. A space heating system as defined in claim 1 in which said means along said sections for holding said sections against said surface consists of a tape having a tacky surface which adheres to said surface.

3. A space heating system as defined in claim 1 in which said fixtures have a flat base with a surface for seating on said surface and an adhesive material for adhering said fixtures to said latter surface.

4. A space heating system as defined in claim 2 in whichsaid fixtures have a flat base with a surface for seating on said surface and an adhesive material for adhering said fixtures to said latter surface.

5. A space heating system as defined in claim 1 in which said wire includes a copper base resistance wire, a coating of electrical grade enamel, a coating of nylon, and a plastic jacket. 

1. A space heating system for a ceiling or wall installation having a surface facing the space to be heated, comprising connected sections of thin, insulated resistance wire of an overall diameter of approximately 0.050 inches and an insulation jacket in the range of approximately 0.008-0.010 inches strung along the said surface in spaced relation, fixtures secured to said surface at each end of said wire section having an elongated strip with tabs overlapping and contacting the surface of the strip for holding said wire sections in said spaced relation, means along said sections for holding said sections against sAid surface, and a thin layer applied to said surface covering said wire sections, fixtures and said holding means.
 2. A space heating system as defined in claim 1 in which said means along said sections for holding said sections against said surface consists of a tape having a tacky surface which adheres to said surface.
 3. A space heating system as defined in claim 1 in which said fixtures have a flat base with a surface for seating on said surface and an adhesive material for adhering said fixtures to said latter surface.
 4. A space heating system as defined in claim 2 in which said fixtures have a flat base with a surface for seating on said surface and an adhesive material for adhering said fixtures to said latter surface.
 5. A space heating system as defined in claim 1 in which said wire includes a copper base resistance wire, a coating of electrical grade enamel, a coating of nylon, and a plastic jacket. 